Trailer coupler



April 1G, 1940. .1. l.. GiLMoRE TRAILER COUPLER Filed Aug. s, `19:56 v

M/,Y 36A it: Y xy Patented Apr. 16, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE' TRAILER COUPLER John L. Gilmore, Kansas City, Mo. Application August 3, 1936, Serial N'o. 94,051

4 Claims. f '(Cl. 28o-33.17)

" More particularly, it is my object to provide a novel form of lock for connecting together the hitch member on the motor vehicle and the hitch member on the trailer. I have provided a lock which can be o-perated with one hand and have a locking block which when in use is drawn within the outline of a protecting'casting and is thoroughly braced against the casing so as to make 'a very sturdy and eflicient construction.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and, combination of the various parts of my trailer coupler, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, -as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in whichz` Figure 1 is a side elevation of a trailer coupler embodying my invention installed on a motor vehicle and a trailer, of which parts only of the vehicle and -trailer are shown. Figure 2 is a top or plan view of the member of the coupler intended to be installed on the trailer.

Figure 3 is a detail, sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, showing both membersV of the coupler.

. Figure 4 is a horizontal, detail, sectionalview taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a horizontal, detail, sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3; and Figure 6 is a vertical, sectional view, parts being broken away and parts being shown irr section, the view being somewhat similar to that of Figure 3, but showing the parts in unlocking position. Ql

In the drawing, I have used the reference nu- Ineral I0 to indicate generally a motor vehicle, having forfexample the bumper II `to which is secured a rearwardly projecting short bar I2, having a holo extending through it. Secured to the bar I2 is the downwardlyycxtending shank I3 on a ball I4. forming a member for a ball and socket joint. This member is of known construction. t 55 For convenience. I have called the coupler shank of the bolt 22.

. member which is connected the motorv vehicle the coupler member A.

The coacting coupler or hitch member, which is intended to be connected to the draw bar I5 y of the trailer is indicated generally at B.

The coupler B comprises a i'lat plate I6, having a front, upwardly extending wall Il and side walls I3 which are tapered from their front ends rearwardly as perhaps best shown in Figure 3.

The plate I6 has a series of holes I9 to receive 10 bolts 20 for fastening the coupler member B to the trailer draw bar.

Formed integral with the parts just described is a forwardlyv extending, downwardly opening shell 2|, the forward partof which, as indicated 15 at 2Ia, formsa downwardly opening socket for' the ball and socket joint.`

. kRearwardly of the socket portion ZIa, the shell is open, asindicated for instance in Figure 3, to the wall I1, which forms the rear wall of the 20 shell. The parts are so arranged that the ball I4 may be inserted into the socket 2Ia`o'f the `shellf2 I, as illustrated in Figure 3.

For conveniently and easily locking the ball I4 in the socket 2Ia, I provide a bolt 22, prefer- 25 ably with the angular head 23. The bolt is extended through a hole 24 in the upper part of the shell 2I, to have a. loose iit that will allow some rocking of the bolt. v` u Around the hole 24 on top of the shell 2I is 30 an annular rib 25 j (see Figure 3) havingteeth 26 on top and having a ratchet 2l surrounding the hole 24. v

Mounted on the upper shank of the bolt 22* is a floatingratchet head 28, having at its upper 35 portion an angular socket 29 to receive the head 23. The socket is angular in horizontal section to ft the bolt head and below the socket is a portion 30.0f reduced diameter to receive the Mounted on the bolt'shank is a' bushing 3| 40 which is seated in the rabbet 2l. Instead of the separate bushing 3| the bolt 22 may be formed with an integral enlarged shoulder part which would serve the same function as the bushing. I prefer the bushing because with it, itis easier to get a machined surface.

Between the bottom of the socket 28 and the head 23 is a coil spring 32,which normally tends to pushup on the head 23 and downwardly on 50 the head 28. so that the head 23 will` project above the socket 29.

Thus when the bolt head 23 is pushed downwardly as far as it will go, its downward movcment will be limited by the bushing or sleeve 3l. 55

shank as will be hereinafter more: fully referred to.

On the bolt shank below the top of the shell 2I is a coil spring 33. Loosely received on the lower end of the shank of the bolt 22 is the locking block, indicated generally at 34, having at its under side the socket; to receive the nut 36 on the bolt. A

The forward face 31 of the block 34 is shaped to t the ball I4. The rearward face is inclined from its-top'downwardly and rearwardly as indicated atf38.h ff

In assembling the parts, the spring 32 may be placed on the bolt shank and the floating ratchet head 28 may be also installed on the bolt shank. The under side of the portion 30 has the teeth 38a to coact with the teeth 28 on the shell 2|.

The bushing 3| may be set in the ratchet 21 and started onfthe bolt. j

The parts will-then assume approximately the position shownin Figure 6 with the block 34 projecting'downwardly somewhat from the castingv forming the shell 127|, so that the upper part of the beveled `face v38 engages thefront face of the =wa11 |1 and 'me biock 34 is permitted to swing rearwardly enough to permitthe insertion of the ball I4 past the front face 34 of the locking block into the socket member 2 Ia.

The operatorthen rotates the floating ratchet The angular socket 29y will receive the angular head 23, andthe bolt will thus be rotated.

'I'he socket 35 is' angular so as to prevent rotation of the nut 36. Therefore the bolt will be screwed into the nut'36`for thus forcing it and the locking block 34 upwardly on the bolt. andl into the shell 2|, untiltheV front face 31 of the block 34 snugly engages the lower half of the ball I4'.` `This. snug engagement will occur at about the time the lower face ofthe surface of the'block 34 is on a level with the lower face of the plate I6. l

Thuswhen theparts are in lockingposition, the locking block will have been drawn into the shell 2I and will be protected thereby.

The parts are so` constructed that when the locking block 34 is in full locking position as shown in Figure 3, the spring 32 will hold the oatingratchet'head 28 Vin interlocking engage- `ment with the head 38a on the shell 2l, but the floating ratchethead willnot be at the upperA limit of its'iibating or sliding movement on the bolt. I

II then it is desired to unlock the coupler, theoperator rseizes the floatingzratchet head 28 and pulls it ,upwardly against the tension of the spring 32 (Figure 3i until the teeth 30a on the oating ratchet head clear the teeth v26 on the shell 2I and rotate the floating ratchet head to the left.

It will be observed that when the parts are` The engagement of the angular socket 28 of the floating ratchet head with the angle head 23 of the bolt 22 will cause the bolt 22 to rotate with the istchet head for screwing the bolt out of the nut When this operation is continued long enough, the locking block 34 will be forced downwardly by the spring 33 far enough to permit the withdrawal of the ball I4.

A coupler of the kind herein explained has numerous advantages, some of which I have already mentioned.

The parts are of very simple and inexpensive construction. A

The process of assembling them into the completed device is simple and easy.

In the completed device, the locking block 34 is completely received within the under side of the shell 2I when the device is in locking position. This-affords protection to the locking block, which prevents damage to the block from external blows.

The construction and arrangement of the locking parts are such that the operator must lock the two coupler members together in order to enable the trailer to be pulled, and he practically c not fail to do so if he starts the locking operauon of the floating ratchet head.

A great advantage in a trailer coupler of this kind arises from the fact that the lock can be manipulated with one hand and can be operated without removing a mitten or glove. particularly important in bad weather.

Changesmay be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my improved trailer coupler, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any such changes or modifications in arrangement or materials used, which may be within the scope of such claims and of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a trailer coupler, a coupler member having a ball, a second coupler member having a shell, one portion of which forms a socket to receive the ball, a block movable toward and from position for forming part of the ball holding socket, means for moving the block to its different positions, comprising a bolt slidably mounted in the shell, and a spring on the bolt between the block and the shell, said shell having ratchet teeth and a floating ratchet, said floating ratchet having teeth to cooperate with the teeth of the .shell and adapted to be moved lengthwise on the bolt, said bolt and ratchet head having coacting This is parts, whereby when the ratchet head is in one position of its movement it may rotate with relation to the bolt, and when it is in another position, it is non-rotatable on the bolt.

2. In a trailer coupler, a coupler member having a ball, a second coupler member having a shell, one portion of which forms a socket member for receiving the ball, a locking block adapted in one position to form a part of the socket and when in such position to be received within the shell, said locking block having a recess in its lower face, a bolt loosely extended through the locking block having a nut threaded on its lower end and received within said recess, a spring be, tween the locking block and the shell, said bolt being loosely extended through the shell wall, said shell having ratchet teeth, said bolt having a head, a bushing on the bolt between the head and the shell, a iioating ratchet head slidably mounted on said bushing, having teeth to engage said rst teeth, and having in its upper face a socket to receive the bolt head, a spring between the retener head and the boit head, the ratchet head being adapted to turn the bolt :when the head ofthe bolt is 'received inthe socket in the ratchet head and adapted to rotate on the bolt when the bolt clears such socket.

3. In a trailer coupler a pair of engagingv coupler members comprising respectively a hollow shell and a ball tting therein, a locking block adapted to be drawn into the hollow shell againstv the ball to hold it in place and means for posi- .etioning and locking said blockcomprising arbolt 'loosely extending through the :hell and the block having `means thereon for drawing said block against, the ball including a handle member mounted above the shell, said handle member having an aperture therein adapted to""receive the bolt head in non-rotatable relation thereto and having a ratchet elementV atthe lower face and a coacting ratchet element on the adjacent surface of the shell, a bushing surrounding the bolt within the handle spacing the bolt head above the bottom of said aperture, and a coiled spring acndgpetween the boit head and the.

into engagement.

" 4. In a trailer coupler a pair of engaging cou-` pler members comprising respectively a hollow shell and a ball-'fitting therein, a`locking block adapted to be drawn into the hollow shell against the ball to hold it in place and means for positioning and locking` said block comprising a boltv loosely extending through the shell and the block member, a coacting ratchet element on the fad- `jacent face ofthe shell, and a coiled spring-cooperable with said handle member and sai'dbody through saldbolt for constantly urging the 20 ratchet elements into engagement.

JOHN'L. 'GILMORE handle constantly urging the ratchet elementsy 

